Can Instagram's Mobile-Only Strategy Work for Other Apps?

In the short year-and-a-half since its launch, Instagram has grown to 30 million users — and did it all without a website.

The app only lives on mobile and, until launching an Android version earlier this month, could only be downloaded on iOS devices. Photos can be uploaded to a user's Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and other social presences. However, there's no database of Instagram photos or even user profiles that can be found on the web. While independent developers have created websites to accompany the app, there is no Instagram interface for users to access online. It's a world that exists only in the palm of your hand: It's mobile-only.

For those trying to make sense of that $1 billion price tag, this raises a number of questions. Do you need a website or can a mobile app succeed on its own? Is this a viable strategy for other apps or is Instagram truly an anomaly?

We asked a few mobile experts to share their opinions on Instagram and whether mobile-only is really the next frontier for social networks.

Mobile Is Everywhere

Mobile-only is totally a viable strategy. I think a lot of smart, educated people underestimate the potential of mobile because they spend all day in front of desktop and laptop computers.

White-collar analysts often overlook the fact that the mobile phone is the primary computing device for many, if not most, people. If you spend all day on your feet waiting tables, working construction, or tending patients, why wouldn't you buy your plane tickets, iTunes songs, and new shoes on your mobile phone? To understand the potential of mobile, all you need to do is, next Friday night, take a second to look up from your mobile to notice that no one else is.

The Web Has Velocity

I think it's misleading to say that Instagram saw incredible success without a website. A large driver of growth for Instagram was the ability for users to syndicate their photos to Twitter and Facebook, which then led people to the companion Instagram photo page on the web. While that web companion may have not been robust, it was critical as it was the asset Instagram users were building by using the mobile app.

Mobile apps are terrific for publishing, but I believe they require a web companion to create a fully circular and viral loop. It's very difficult to grow virally without giving your users something they want to share via Facebook and Twitter.

Focus on a Compelling Experience

I think a "read-only" website is sufficient in many cases. A basic viewable website allows a mobile app to reach the open web and provide registered users and non-users alike a consistent viewing experience when you share your photos using links on the web or social platforms like Twitter or Facebook. To share photos or interact with these photos, you can install the native mobile app for the full capabilities and rich experience as a registered user.

There isn't a single right answer. It all depends on how much interaction across the web your mobile app requires to make it a compelling experience for people who often use multiple social networks.

Mobile Gives Us Superpowers

Instagram made a smart bet that we currently have more spare attention — more emotional and cognitive bandwidth — while using our mobile phones than we do when viewing a website on a desktop browser.

My iPhone gives me superpowers. My computer needs things from me. A kind of emotional transference then happens when looking at content on my mobile phone, it's a treat to stay a little longer. I feel like I'm being let in on a secret. If you're trying to discern a launch or product strategy, the baked-in intimacy and ubiquity of mobile shouldn't be ignored.

Content Can Dictate the Platform

I think any app that is built around taking photos and videos or location can forgo a website. Mobile apps excel at these things.

I tend to think of a website (or a mobile app for that matter) as a means to an end — offering a feature or experience to the user. If a website is not critical to the experience you're building, you may be able to skip it, which can save a lot of time and energy, allowing development to focus on the core product.

Consider Your Community

I don't think success with a mobile-only strategy is limited to Instagram. One of my favorite examples is an app called Grindr. I don't know what Grindr would be like with a website. There would be so many things that could go wrong.

The difference with Instagram is, yes, it's app-only but you can share things online. All the cross-posting to Twitter and Facebook means nothing if people can't see the content on the web. It's one thing to have mobile be your focus, it's another to eschew the web entirely in favor of the app because you're cutting your content off from a significant number of people.

I, along with Brett Martin, Co-founder and CEO of Sonar, Steve Jang, Co-founder, Chief Product Designer and CEO of SoundTracking and Bart Stein, Co-founder of Stamped, will be exploring mobile-only social networking at our signature conference, Mashable Connect. We'll discuss why they chose to create apps, best practices for maintaining them and, of course, what other startups might take away from the Facebook-Instagram deal. See below for all the details.

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Our annual destination conference, Mashable Connect, brings our community together for three days to connect offline in an intimate setting at the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World®. Registration is now open.

Held in a unique location away from everyday distractions, Mashable Connect is a rare and valuable opportunity to be surrounded by digital leaders across industries. You’ll spend time with Mashable’s passionate and influential community, hear from top speakers who will provide insight into the the technologies and trends that are shaping the next era of digital innovation, and get to spend time with the Mashable team.

To keep Mashable Connect as intimate as possible, only a limited amount of tickets are available.

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